Emirati graduates in the UAE are seeking pay of up to AED27,000 (US$7,300) for their first job and prefer working in the public sector, according to the findings of a new poll.
A study by recruitment firm GulfTalent.com found 86 percent and 66 percent of Emirati male and female graduates, respectively, favoured conditions in the public sector, citing higher salaries and greater job security.
Just 4 percent of male graduates and 10 percent of female graduates claimed they wanted to work in the private sector.
The report, which was conducted in association with ten universities in the UAE, also found that Abu Dhabi investment vehicle Mubadala was the most popular working destination for new graduates, followed by Abu Dhabi National Oil Company, Masdar and Emirates Nuclear Energy Corporation.
The only private company to make GulfTalent.com’s list of most popular employers for Emirati graduates was advertising agency Leo Burnett, which ranked 12. Government-owned Emirates Airline came in at 7 in the study.
In terms of salary expectations, male Emiratis said they expected AED27,000 per month pay for a first time job, whereas women eyed an AED19,000 pay packet.
GulfTalent.com found that about a quarter of those Emiratis polled saw personal connections, or ‘Wasta’, as a key factor in securing the ideal job.
Some of the characteristics of their employer that Emiratis deemed as a priority included a challenging and interesting work environment (citied by 72 percent of graduates), good training and development (53 percent) and a good public image and reputation (43 percent).
According to statistics published by the UAE’s Ministry of Labour, more than 90 percent of the Gulf state’s 225,000 Emirati working population are employed by government or public sector entities.
Just 22,000 UAE nationals work in the private sector, which employ some 4m expatriates.
